Daring Vincenzo Nibali Slides to Stage 14 Win in 2010 Giro d'Italia

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Daring Vincenzo Nibali Slides to Stage 14 Win in 2010 Giro d'Italia

After a grueling climb up the Monte Grappa, Team Liquigas rider Vincenzo Nibali took a risk on the descent, attacking wet roads to open up a 30-second lead en route to winning Stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia 2010. David Arroyo grabbed the overall Giro lead and the Maglia Rosa.

After a grueling climb up the Monte Grappa, Team Liquigas rider Vincenzo Nibali took a risk on the descent, attacking wet roads to open up a 30-second lead en route to winning Stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia 2010. David Arroyo grabbed the overall Giro lead and the Maglia Rosa.

Vincenzo Nibali used a daring downhill attack to win the first serious mountain stage of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday, while David Arroyo Duran of Spain took the overall leader's pink jersey.

Nibali's Liquigas teammate Ivan Basso was second, 23 seconds behind, in a group with fellow Italian Michele Scarponi and world champion Cadel Evans of Team BMC Racing.

Arroyo Duran, who rides for the Caisse D'Epargne team, took a 39-second lead over Richie Porte of Australia in the overall standings.

Porte crossed nearly 5 minutes behind with a group of about 10 riders.

Team Milram captain Linus Gerdemann finished 9th in today's stage and moved up to 5th in the overall Giro rankings. "That was a very difficult day for us. I am satisifed with the outcome of the stage and with my performance," Linus Gerdemann told Roadcycling.com after the stage. "Tomorrow is another hard mountain stage. I will try to find my own rhythm and climb the Monte Zoncolan as best I can."

Nibali moved up from 16th to eighth overall, and was 6:51 behind Arroyo Duran.

The stage included an 19- kilometer climb to Monte Grappa shortly before the finish, at an average gradient of 7.9 percent and with portions as steep as 14 percent.

Basso, Nibali and Scarponi were first over the top with Evans just a few seconds behind. Nibali left the other three riders behind on the highly technical descent that followed - which was made even more dangerous due to a light rain.

Nibali wore the pink jersey for three days earlier in the race before being involved in a fall during the seventh leg. Then all the race favorites misjudged a massive 50-rider breakaway in the 11th stage, when Porte took the lead. Now the pre-race favorites are starting to move back up the standings.

The riders don't have much time to rest with a 222-kilometer stage on Sunday starting in Mestre and ending with an uphill finish to Monte Zoncolan, one of the steepest climbs in Europe.